This invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly, to differential pair electrical connectors.
A variety of connectors exist today for use in differential pair applications. In differential pair applications, a signal is divided in half (each half being the inverse of the other half) and each half is transmitted over a separate data line to a mating interface of a connector. The mating interface of an electrical connector may have a plurality of contacts, and in differential pair applications, the contacts are generally organized into differential pairs. The signal quality of a differential pair of contacts may be reduced due to cross talk/noise and the like caused by electromagnetic fields (EMFs) created by nearby differential pairs of contacts. The structure and configuration of an electrical connector affects the cross talk aspects of the electrical connector. The electronics industry has offered various solutions for improving the quality of differential signals at the mating interface for an electrical connector.
One approach involves arranging ground shields within the connector to reduce the EMF interference on a differential pair of connectors from nearby differential pairs. When mating the header and receptacle connectors, the ground shields make contact before the signal contacts engage one another. In certain connectors, the shape of the receiving chamber is matched to the shape of the electrical contact being received so as to reduce the air gap therebetween, thus reducing the impedance of the terminal contact, and thereby improving signal performance.
Supplying ground shields and planes within the configuration of the connector provides one approach to reducing the EMF interference on differential pairs. However, the addition of numerous ground shields may increase the cost of the connector. Furthermore, the footprint or size of the electrical connector may increase with the addition of ground contacts and shields. Moreover, as the data rate increases, the electrical connector may need to reduce further the EMF interference.
A need still exists for further reduction of the cross talk/noise in differential pair connectors that are used in high speed data connections.